Sometimes we need a little inspiration when it comes to adding more vegetables to our plate. Thankfully for us, Mollie Katzen knows a thing or two about vegetables! On the 30th anniversary of her groundbreaking Moosewood Cookbook, Mollie presents just under 100 delicious vegetable side dishes in this delightful and beautiful cookbook.
Major color -- especially if you use an assortment of beets! This is a delicious way to spark them with a big hit of zingy flavor.
Yield: 4 to 5 servings
3 pounds beets
1 cup fresh-squeezed pink grapefruit juice.
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons real maple syrup
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Trim the greens from the beets, leaving an about 1 inch of the stems. Divide the beets into 2 groups, wrapping each in a bundle of foil, with about 3 tablespoons of water tossed in. Roast in the center of the oven for up to 1 hour, or until the beets are tender enough to be pierced with a fork. Remove the tray from the oven, open the foil packets, and let the beets cool on the tray until comfortable to handle. Then remove and discard the stems and rub off the skins. Cut the beets into thin slices.
In a medium-small bowl, whisk together to grapefruit juice, vinegar, and maple syrup.
Place the cornstarch in a small saucepan and drizzle in the grapefruit mixture, whisking until all the cornstarch is dissolved.
Place the pan over medium heat, and heat just to the boiling point, whisking frequently. Turn the heat down and cook, stirring often, for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until thickened and glossy. Remove from the heat.
Drizzle the hot glaze over the hot, warm, or room-temperature roasted beets, and serve right away.
Notes: Make the glaze when the beets come out of the oven. It only takes about 10 minutes.
A high-grade maple syrup (one with very subtle flavor) works best for this.
